Badger Balm: Organic Skincare Born From A Carpenter’s Cracked Hands

Family-owned for 30 years, USDA Certified Organic, powered by solar energy, and made with ingredients you can actually pronounce. Meet Badger, the brand behind our organic balms and mineral sunscreens.

Every so often we come across a brand that makes us think: this is exactly what we built Nalu to find. Badger Balm is one of those brands.

Founded in 1995 in rural New Hampshire, Badger has spent three decades doing something remarkably simple and remarkably difficult at the same time: making organic skincare with the fewest, cleanest ingredients possible, and refusing to compromise on that even as the company has grown from a kitchen-table operation into a brand sold in more than 15 countries.

We're proud to bring them to the UK, and we wanted to introduce you to the brand properly, because the story behind Badger is as good as the products themselves.

It Started With A Carpenter And A Tin Of Beeswax

In the mid-1990s, Bill Whyte was working as a carpenter in New England. If you've ever spent a winter working with your hands outdoors, you'll know what that does to your skin. Bill's hands were constantly cracked and dry in the cold, and nothing he tried seemed to help.

One evening, he mixed up a simple balm from beeswax and olive oil, added some botanicals, and rubbed it into his hands. It worked so well that he started sharing it with everyone he knew.

He originally wanted to call it "Bear Paw," but the name was taken. As the story goes, he slept with a tin under his pillow and woke up with a new name: Badger. With help from his wife Katie, he started filling tins by hand in their kitchen, packing them into homemade wooden boxes, and selling them to local hardware shops from his work van.

That original product, Badger Balm for Hardworking Hands, is still made today with the same philosophy: simple ingredients, blended with care. And it's still brilliant.

What Makes Badger Different

The natural skincare market is enormous and noisy. Hundreds of brands describe themselves as "natural" or "clean." The difference with Badger is that they can back it up.

Over 90% of Badger's products are USDA Certified Organic, one of the strictest organic standards in the world. Products carrying the USDA Organic seal must contain at least 95% organic ingredients, and the facility that makes them is regularly inspected. Badger was one of the first body care companies in the US to achieve the certification, and has held it for nearly two decades.

They're also a certified B Corporation, independently verified to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, and have been named B Corp "Best for the World" several times.

Their workshop in Gilsum, New Hampshire is a LEED Silver certified building powered by solar energy, and the company is now led by Bill's daughters, Emily Schwerin-Whyte and Rebecca Hamilton, making it a second-generation, women-led family business.

Mineral vs Chemical Sunscreen

One of the main reasons we wanted to bring Badger to Nalu is their approach to sun protection.

Most sunscreens use chemical UV filters, such as oxybenzone, avobenzone and octinoxate, which absorb UV radiation. In 2019, a study published in JAMA found that several of these filters were absorbed into the bloodstream at levels above the point where the US Food and Drug Administration asks for further safety testing, and a follow-up study in 2020 found the same across several formulations. The researchers were clear that this doesn't mean these sunscreens are unsafe, and that people should keep using sun protection. But it's understandably led many people to look at mineral options.

There's an environmental side too. Oxybenzone and octinoxate have been linked to harm to coral reefs, and Hawaii, the US Virgin Islands and Palau have all restricted them in sunscreens.

Badger's sunscreens use non-nano zinc oxide as their only active ingredient. Zinc oxide is a mineral that sits on the surface of the skin and reflects UV rays, giving broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB. It's widely considered a more reef-friendly choice, and Badger has been making natural mineral sunscreen for longer than most. Their sunscreens have featured consistently in the Environmental Working Group's annual sunscreen guide.

We stock three of them:

• Active Mineral Sunscreen Cream SPF 30, designed for outdoor activity and sport, with 40 minutes of water resistance.
• Kids Mineral Sunscreen Cream SPF 40, made for children's sensitive skin.
• Baby Mineral Sunscreen Cream SPF 40, gentle, high-factor protection for the youngest skin.

All three are made with non-nano zinc oxide, organic plant oils and beeswax. No synthetic fragrance, no chemical UV filters, no parabens.

Beyond Sunscreen: The Wellness Balms

Badger's roots are in balms, and this is where the brand's philosophy really shines: a few carefully chosen natural ingredients, blended well.

The Sleep Balm is a perfect example. It's a blend of organic beeswax, extra virgin olive oil and castor oil with lavender, bergamot, ginger and balsam fir. A little on your temples or wrists before bed makes a calming, aromatic part of your evening routine, designed to help you unwind. No complicated rituals. Just a simple, organic balm.

The Aromatic Chest Rub takes a similar approach, with eucalyptus, mint, rosemary and tea tree in an organic oil and beeswax base. It's a natural alternative to the petroleum-based rubs many of us grew up with, and a comforting, aromatic addition to winter evenings.

The Foot Balm combines peppermint and tea tree to cool and condition tired feet, and the Cuticle Care balm keeps nails and cuticles nourished. Quiet, practical products for everyday needs.

The Everyday Essentials

Badger's Classic Lip Balms are USDA Certified Organic and made with just a handful of ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, beeswax, castor oil and natural flavouring. No petroleum, no synthetic wax, no artificial fragrance. Choose Vanilla Madagascar or Unscented, or pick up the Green or Gold gift set, each with four flavours.

The Aloe Vera Gel, made with Fair Trade certified organic aloe, is a cooling after-sun essential that pairs naturally with the sunscreens.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Badger Balm organic?

Yes. Over 90% of Badger's products are USDA Certified Organic, which requires at least 95% organic ingredients.

What's the difference between mineral and chemical sunscreen?

Mineral sunscreens use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which sit on the skin's surface and reflect UV rays. Chemical sunscreens use filters that absorb UV radiation. Badger's sunscreens use non-nano zinc oxide only.

Where can I buy Badger Balm in the UK?

Nalu stocks Badger's mineral sunscreens, balms and lip care, with UK delivery.

Why Badger Belongs On Nalu

Every brand we stock has to pass a simple test: does it genuinely help, is the quality beyond question, and does the company behind it act with integrity?

Badger passes on all three. Their formulations are simple and transparent. Their organic certifications are verified and maintained. Their environmental commitments, from solar-powered manufacturing to B Corp certification and Fair Trade sourcing, are built into how the company has worked for three decades.

And their origin story, a carpenter trying to fix his cracked hands, is exactly the kind of honest beginning we love. The best products often come from someone solving a real problem for themselves, and then sharing it with everyone else.

Explore the full Badger Balm collection, or ask our team for help choosing.